{"product_id":"golden-fleece-goldenrod","title":"Golden Fleece Goldenrod","description":"\u003ch3 class=\"pd-title-head\"\u003e\n  \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ci\u003eSolidago sphacelata\u003c\/i\u003e 'Golden Fleece'\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eOverview\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUses:\u003c\/strong\u003e Front of sunny borders, edging along paths and walls, mass planting and drifts, groundcover on dry banks, pollinator and wildlife gardens.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBenefits:\u003c\/strong\u003e A compact goldenrod that behaves in a garden setting. It forms a low mat of heart-shaped leaves and sends up arching sprays of small golden flowers in fall, staying around a foot tall instead of the four to five feet of the roadside species. It handles heat, drought, and poor soil, and deer generally leave it alone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUSDA Hardiness Zones:\u003c\/strong\u003e 4–8\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSun:\u003c\/strong\u003e Full Sun to Partial Shade\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLife Cycle:\u003c\/strong\u003e Hardy Perennial\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrowth Habit:\u003c\/strong\u003e Mounding, Spreading — low leafy mat with arching flower sprays\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBloom Color:\u003c\/strong\u003e Golden Yellow\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMature Height:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1–1.5 ft.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMature Width:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.5–2 ft.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBloom Season:\u003c\/strong\u003e Late summer through fall\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrowth Rate:\u003c\/strong\u003e Moderate to Fast\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eSummary\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eGoldenrod has a reputation problem and a size problem. Golden Fleece fixes the second one, and the first is a misunderstanding worth clearing up.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMost of the year it is a dense, low mat of small heart-shaped leaves — tidy enough to edge a path or run along the front of a border. In late summer it sends up branched flowering stems about a foot high that arch outward rather than upward, opening into sprays of tiny golden flowers that hold for six weeks or more.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe reputation problem: goldenrod does not cause hay fever. Its pollen is heavy and sticky, carried by insects rather than wind. Ragweed blooms at the same time, is wind-pollinated, and is the actual culprit — goldenrod simply happens to be the conspicuous yellow thing standing next to it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhat it does do is feed things. Goldenrod is among the most valuable late-season nectar and pollen sources in North America, supporting native bees, migrating monarchs, and a long list of beneficial insects when the season is closing down.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eCare\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGolden Fleece Goldenrod Care\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePlant in full sun to partial shade. Full sun gives the densest mat and heaviest bloom; it accepts a few hours of shade without much loss, which is more than most goldenrods will.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eGive it well-drained soil, and do not improve it much. This plant is at its best in lean, dry, even rocky ground. Rich soil and steady moisture produce floppy stems and encourage it to spread faster than you want.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWater through the first season to establish. After that it needs very little — it is one of the more dependable perennials through a dry August.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFertilizer is unnecessary and counterproductive here. If you are working with genuinely exhausted soil, one light spring application of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/products\/slow-release-fertilizer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eslow release fertilizer\u003c\/a\u003e is the most it should ever get.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eShear the spent flower stems after bloom to limit self-sowing, or leave them for winter structure and seed-eating birds and cut back in early spring. It spreads by short rhizomes; edge the clump with a spade every couple of years, or divide in spring, if it reaches further than you intended.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eSize\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat Size is the Golden Fleece Goldenrod for Sale Online?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOur Golden Fleece Goldenrod ships in a greenhouse-grade grow pot and is appropriately sized for its container at the time of shipment. If you have specific sizing or planting questions, please \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/pages\/contact\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Contact Almanac Planting Co\"\u003econtact us\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow Large Does Golden Fleece Goldenrod Grow?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eGolden Fleece stays roughly one to one and a half feet tall in bloom, with the foliage mat itself only a few inches high, and spreads about a foot and a half to two feet wide. Space eighteen inches apart for a continuous groundcover.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eAdditional Information\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat are some common names for this plant?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe most widely used names, in rough order of familiarity, are:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGolden Fleece goldenrod\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAutumn goldenrod\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDwarf goldenrod\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDoes goldenrod cause hay fever?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eNo. Goldenrod pollen is heavy and sticky and is moved by insects, not wind, so it does not travel far enough to reach anyone’s sinuses. Ragweed blooms at the same time, releases enormous quantities of light wind-borne pollen, and is the real cause. Goldenrod just happens to be the plant people notice.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill it take over the garden?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eNot the way the roadside species does. Golden Fleece spreads by short rhizomes and widens gradually into a clump rather than running. In lean, dry soil it stays where you put it. In rich, moist soil it moves faster, so edge or divide it every couple of years if you want it held to a defined space.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow is it different from the goldenrod growing in fields?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHeight, mostly. Field goldenrods are typically \u003cem\u003eSolidago canadensis\u003c\/em\u003e or \u003cem\u003eSolidago altissima\u003c\/em\u003e, running four to six feet and spreading aggressively by underground stems. Golden Fleece is a selection of \u003cem\u003eSolidago sphacelata\u003c\/em\u003e, a southeastern native that is naturally shorter and far better behaved. See our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/collections\/native-plants\"\u003eNative Plants of North America\u003c\/a\u003e collection for related species.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow does it hold up to drought and deer?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWell on both counts. Once its roots are down it tolerates extended dry weather with no supplemental water, and deer very rarely browse goldenrod. See our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/collections\/drought-tolerant-plants\"\u003eDrought-Tolerant Plants\u003c\/a\u003e collection and our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/collections\/deer-resistant-perennials-grasses\"\u003edeer-resistant perennials and grasses\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Almanac Planting Co","offers":[{"title":"2 Gallon \/ Fall '26 Pre-Order","offer_id":47507181568162,"sku":"PN-GFGR-2-1yr","price":44.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0586\/9374\/6850\/files\/GoldenFleeceGoldenRod2.jpg?v=1786403864","url":"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/products\/golden-fleece-goldenrod","provider":"Almanac Planting Co","version":"1.0","type":"link"}